Typewriting machine



Aug. 28, 1923.

H. S. LASHER TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15 1920 l atented Aug, 2%, E g

HERA 3E8. LASBER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., GOMFANY, OE YORK, N, Y.,

ASSIGNOR T UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWBITENG MACHINE.

Application. filed January 15, 1920. Serial No. 351,628.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it knpwn' that I, HIRAM S. LASHER, a citizen of the United States, residing in borough of the Bronx, in the county of the Bronx, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention. relates to devices for slitting fan-fold webs longitudinally, and is in the nature of an improvement upon the devices shown in Patent No. 1,237,319, granted August 21, 1917, to Benjamin P. Fortin.

In the fan-fold typewriting machines of the class illustrated in the above-mentioned patent, it is customary to attach the ends of the carbon sheets tobars or fingers which extend transversely of the web, the fingers being supported by. a carriage which may he movedback along the web from time to time to bring the carbons into conjunction with fresh portions thereof. In the aforesaid patent, slitters are mounted upon the ends of these carbon-attaching bars or fingers for the purpose of slitting the edge folds of the web.

To prepare a machine, equipped as above described, for the feeding of special varieties of webs, it is found necessary to go to considerable expense and delay in attaching the slitters to the fingers in different positions according to the width of the Web and the position of the edge folds, and one object of the present invention is to eliminate these disadvantages.

. It is also necessary sometimes to equip the typewriting machine for typing ilpon. very wide-fan-fold forms, necessitating theuse of extra wide carbon sheets and extra long carbon-attaching fingers, ,and, owing to the thinness of these fingers, it is found that they are liable to yield when the carrier is being pushed back, and thus caused to foul and tear the sheets. it is another of the obja-cts of this invention to overcome this difficulty.

' It is also an object of the invention herein disclosed to provide for slitting the Webs by means which are suitable for a wide variety of, work, and which may be readily set to working positions in which they will not be liable to either bind thewcb sheets i or injurothcm. but, on the contrary, may furnish additional support therefor where such support is beneficial.

In practicing the invention, in accordance with the form herein disclosed, I provide a series of slitters extending from a common support which may be'adjustably mounted upon the carbon carrier, the adjustment being in a direction transverse to the carrier, so as to permit the usepf a large range of wldths of sheets. These slitters extend rearwardly and inwardly from the support at a slitting angle, preferably at an angle of about to the direction of travel of the the web, and they are placed one above another at intervals, which admit of their introduction into the folds of the web and also permit the folded paper to pass between the slitters when the edge is not to be slitted.

The above-described slitters may'resemble the tines of a fork with their advance edges beveled and dull, so as to be efiicient in slitting the perforated or otherwise weakened folds without liability of tearing the paper. A set of such slitters is placed at each side of the machine, and the ends of one set approach'the ends of the other set, so that any width of sheet may be slitted by a slitter in one or the other of said sets.

The aforesaid sets of slitters are preferably mounted upon the side guides that are usually provided at the rear 01' introductory side of the carbon carrier for-guiding the side edges of the sheets; these guides with the attached slitters being capable of extensive adjustment in a direction transverse to. the sheet, as set forth in the aforesaid Fortin patent.

it sometimes happens that the fold ofthe web is not properly perforated or weakened, and when one of the carbon-carrying fingers, having 'a slitter attached thereto, as dis closed in the aforesaid Fortin patent, encounters an unperforated portion -of the paper, it is apt, on account of its length and weakness, to yield, so as to jam and tear the web. In view of their more rigid mounting by attachment to supports relatively close I to sever the web at any gaps that may not have been perforated; and the slitters may be made sharp enough for such purpose without being so sharp as to prove objectionable. It will also be seen that the slitters or prongs, because of their rigidity and proximate positions relative to the web edges,

alfm'd firm supports for the web in advance of the points where the slitting is being done. In this connection it will be borne in mind that the slitting is done during the return movement of the carbon carriage, at which time its rear edge advances with respect to the web, so as to furnish an additional support and guiding means which moves in ad;- vance of the body of the carriage and is therefore very helpful as a means for causing the paper to be always properly pr'e sented to the points of the slitters where the web is actually severed. The paper is therefore accurately positioned and held securely during the slitting operation so that the webs cannot shift, and the prongs themselves tend to smooth out any irregularities in the folds of theweb, which have hereto tore proven to be a source of trouble for the slitters. p

Other features and advantages will hereinatter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a vertical section of a portion of the machine, such as that disclosed in the aforesaid Fortin patent, showing the relative arrangement of the platen, type-bar, paperfeeding and guiding" means, and carboncarrier, with my improved web slitters applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view drawn to a larger scale and showing the carbon-carrier and attached slitters.

Figure 3 is a perspective view-of one of the side guides adjustably attached to the carbon-carrier and having slitters extending therefrom.

Figure 4 is a top view of the. carbon-carrier and adjustable side guides having slit-- ters thereon of the form shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a similar view of the carbon- -carrier and side guides, the same being provided with slitters of a modified form.

Figure 6 is a similar View, illustrating another modified form of slitter.

Figure 7 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale, of one of the slitters, illustrating a referred form.

eterring to the drawings, 10 --is the platen of a fan-fold typewriting machine of the type disclosed in the aforesaid For-tin patent. The platen 10 is mounted on a shaft 11, journaled in a platen-shifting frame 12, comprising end-supporting plates 13, connected by a delivery-table 14:. The

end plates 13 have arms 15 pivotally connected to a cross-bar 16, mounted in end members 17 or the typewriter letter-spacing carriage.

Connected with a cross-bar 18 of said carriage, so as to share its step-by-step letterspacing movements, is a rearwardly-extending frame or paper-table 19, comprising side rails 20 which form runways for a carbon-carrier 21.

Webs of work-sheets 22 may be fed from March 16, 1915, referredto therein.

any suitable source over the guide-bar 23, to and over the carboncarrier 2i, thence to the rear paper-guide or apron 24, thence under and about the platen 10, up between said platen and the front guide plate 25 to the delivery-table M. The usual front and rear feed-rolls 26, 27 may be provided to co-operate with the platen as a means for feeding the website and past the printing line, indicated by the position of the typebar 28, as shown in Figure 1.

The carbon-carrier comprises the usual stepped side-supporting members 29, having detachably connected therewith theinwardly-extending carbon-attachingbars or fingers 30 said fingers being-projected alter nately from opposite sides at diiierent levels so as to enter between the alternate folds of the fan-fold web. Carbon-sheets 31, in-

terleaved between the folds of said web, may be attached at their ends, in any appropriate manner, to said bars or fingers -0. The carbon-carrier is free to move forwardly so that it may be pulled along with the web of worksheets and interleaved carbons by the web-feeding means during the typing of a set of forms. I

The platen-shifting frame 12 is normally retained in the position shown in Figure 1, with the feet 32, ot the end supports 13, resting against a crossbar 33 of the typewriter carriage, and with the platen in its normal position in co-operative relation with the teed-rolls, types, etc. After a set of forms has been typed, however, the platen-frame may be swung about the bar 16 to shift the platen to an elevated position, separated from the teed-rolls. The web may then be straightened out and held in its advanced position while the interleaved carbons are drawn back to an untyped position of the web of Work-sheets by thrusting back the forwardly-extending handle 35 of the carbon-carrier, so as to return'said carrier to a normal position which may be determined by a stop 34.

Machines of he above-mentioned character are well known in the art, and are more fullyillustrated and described in the aforesaid lfortin patent and in the patent to Wernery & mith, No. 1,132.055, dated Man parts of the muchinehave, therefore, beeii omitted for the sake of cleurness. a sutll cient portion only being disclosed to fully apprise one skilled in the art as tothe na-- ture and purpose of the invention herein sought to be protected which will now be described.

Extending from each of a pair of side guides 36, adjustably secured to the supporting members 539 of the carrier 21 by set screws 37 passing through slots 38 in said guides, are a plurality of web-slitters 39. These slitters preferably extend rearwardly and YES Elli) reeaeea inwardly from said guides at eficient slitting angles, so that each slitter may enter between two contiguous sheets of a web. The slitters may be of any appropriate form in cross-section, but preferably have flat upper and lower surfaces 40, 41, as best illustrated in Figure 7, the rearwardly and outwardlydirected margin of each slitter being thinned to form a paper-severing edge 42, adapted to slit a perforated or. otherwise weakened fold of the web; but such thinned edge should not be sharp enough to depart from the fold by cutting into the body portion of the web-sheet.

The above-described slitters may be curved, as illustrated at 43 in Figures 3 and-4, or straight, as illustrated at 44 and 45, respectively, in Figures 5 and 6, and the most eflicient slitting angle of a slitter where it enters the web-fold may vary in accord ance with the nature of the material to be slitted. As illustrated in Figure 5, the slit ter 44 makes an angle of approximately 45 with the web-fold. As illustrated in Figure 6, the angle of the slitter 45 is somewhat greater than 45, whereas, in Figures 3 and 4, a form of slitter is illustrated in which the angle between the slitter and the webfold at the slitting point 46 is somewhat less than 45.

When using a machine with this invention applied thereto, the portion of the web- 'sheet in advance of the carbon-carrier leading to and about the platen will always have been slitted, but the slitters will remain in slitting position, with their ends passing through the slitted portions between contiguous web-sheets, as illustrated in Figure 3.

During the typing of a set of forms, the carbon-carrier, with the side guides and slitters, moves forward with the web and carbons, no further slitting being efi'ected. When the typing is completed, the platenframe is shifted to elevate the platen, as explained above. The web is then straightened out so as to relieve the frictional contact between the carbons and the Web-sheets, and the carbon-carrier and connected carbons move back, the web-sheets being held by the hand of the operative, or otherwise retained in the advanced position-to which they have been fed. During the return movement of the carbon-carrier, the slitters will be caused to slit the folds oi a length of web corresponding with the extent of movement of the carrier. ilhe typed portion of the web, having been previously slitted, be readily separated for distribution, as de sired, after severing the same by tearing along a sharpened edge 47 of the guideplate 25. 7

It is not necessary to mount the slitters on the side guides, or even upon any part of the carbon-carrier. It is important, however, that they be firmly mounted at points relatively near the web-folds to be slitted, so that they may not be distorted or deflected and thus cause the web-sheets to be wrinkled and torn during the slitting operation. The use of the carbon-carrier as a mounting member for the slitters results in additional advantage, however, since, when so used, the movement of the carriage to reposition the carbons also serves as means for rendering the slitters effective at the most appropriate guides, but this is not essential. They may be made of separate bars and be secured to the guides in any appropriate manner, as by having ends soldered or otherwise secured in openings cut therein for that purpose, as indicated in Figure 6.

It will be observed that the ends of the slitters move between the web-sheets in advance of the parts which sever the web-folds when the'carrier is moved back to render the slitters eii'ective,and that said ends serve as webguides to cause the sheets of the-web to be maintained flat so as not to be tornor otherwise mutilated during the slitting operation. The proximately located carbon-attaching fingers and the rear upper portion of the carbon-carrier serve a like purpose. Although the web-guide, as shown 'in Fig ure 3, is indicated as having four slitters extending therefrom it will be obvious that any desired number may be provided and that one or more may be used on each guide, de-

pending upon the pumber of web-folds to be severed. The slitters are located. one above another, as indicated in Figures 1, i2; and 3, so as to be adapted'to enter and slit the respective folds of the webto be slitted, and they are spaced or separated one from another suliiciently to permit a fold which is not to be slitted to pass between two slitters.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and -portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, l

claim: p

1. In a typewriting machine, in'combination, means for feeding a folded web to the printing mechanism, a carbon-carrier movable in the direction of web-feed, and a webslitter mounted on said carrier at a point ad-v jacent the web-fold to be slitted thereby, the mounting of said web-slitter being entirely at one side of said web and at the same side thereof as the web-fold to be slitted.

45 masses 2. In a typewriting machine, in combination, means for feeding a folded web to the printing mechanism, a carbon-carrier movable in the direction of webfeed, carbonholders on-said carrier, and a plurality of web-slitters, each rigidly mounted directly on said carrier at a point adjacent the webfold to be slitted thereby and in a position to slit said Web-fold before the web reaches the carbon-holders.

3. In a typewriting machine, in combination, means for feeding a folded web to the printing mechanism, a carboncarrier movable in the direction of web-feed, carbonholders on said carrier and a plurality of vweb-slitters including slitters mounted on both sides of said carrier independently of said carbon-holders, each at a point near the web-fold to be slitted thereby.

l. The combination with means for feeding a folded web of worksheets to the working elements of the machine, of guiding means therefor, including a side guide for said web, and a web-slitter extending from said uide.

5. n a typewriting machine, in combination, means for feeding a folded web of work-sheets to the printing mechanism, a. carbon-carrier having carbon-holders to which the ends of interleaved carbons may be attached, said carrier being movable forwardly with said sheets and carbons, and rearwardly to reposition said carbons relatively to said sheets, and a web-slitter mounted independently of said carbonholders on a part of said carrier adjacent a Web margin to be 'slitted and extending rearwar'dly and inwardly at an eliicient slitting angle, so as to be adapted to engage and slit a fold of said web during a rearward motion of said carrier to reposition said carbons, I

6. The combination with means {or feed ing a folded web of work-sheets to the wor ing elements of the machine, of? guiding means therefor, including a laterally adjustable side guide, and a web-slitter extending from said guide and adjustable therewith, the arrangement being such that the guide may be adjusted to move both the guide and slitter at a single operation from position to act upon a web of a given width into position to act upon a web of another width, the o-operative relation of he guide and slit-ter being maintained in all adjusted positions without attention from the operator.

7. The combination with means ing a folded web of work-sheets to tl ing elements of the machine, of gdiding means therefon including a latera just-able side guide, and a plum spaced web-slitters extending from guide at diflerent levels and adjus therewith, so that all of said slitters .63 reed properly adjusted, to slit folds of a web of given width by adjustment of said guide into position to guide a Web of that width.

8. A typewriter attachment comprising a laterally adjustable side guide for a folded web and web-slitting means including a rearwa-dly and inwardly directed web-slitter extending from said guide, the rearwardly and outwardly directed margin of said slitter being thinned to form a severing element.

9. lln a typewriting machine in combination, means for feeding a folded web of work-sheets to the printing mechanism, a carboncarrier movable in the direction of web-feed, web-guiding means including a side guide mounted on said carrier, and a web-slitter extending from said guide.

10. In a typewriting machine, in combination, means for feeding a "folded web of work-sheets to the printing mechanism, a carbon-carrier movable in. the direction of web-feed, web-guiding means including a side guide laterally adjustable on said carrier, and a web-slitter extending from said guide and adjustable therewith, so as to be properly positioned to slit a. web of given width by the adjustment of said guide therefor.

11. lln a typewriting machine, in combination, means for feeding a folded web of work-sheets to the printing mechanism, a

carbon-carrier having carbon-holders to which the ends of interleaved carbons may be attached, said carrier being movable forwardly with said sheets and carbons, and rearwardly to reposition said carbons relatively to said sheets, and web-slitting means including a web-slitter mounted independ' ently of said carbon-holders on a part of said carrier adjacent a web margin to be slitted and extending rearwardly and inwardly at an etlicient slitting angle, said slitter having a cutting edge directed rearwardly and out wardly, so as to be adapted to engage and slit a. field or said web during the rearward motion of said carrier to reposition said carbons.

12, In a machine or the charanter descrihed, the combination with. a reciprocatable carbon-carrier, of a set or group of separated web-slitting blades rigidly con-- nected and projecting rearw'a-rdly and inwardly a s lsbbil'lgf angle lrom the rear oorticn of said carrier to the web be- I! i over said. carrier. 1

the character deinc lit)

of blades being detachably mounted upon said carrier.

14. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a reciprocatable carbon-carrier, of web-slitting means including a set or group of separated webslitting blades rigidly connected and projecting rearwardly and inwardly at a slitting angle from the rear portion of said carrier, to slit the web before itadvances over said carrier, means being provided for adjusting said set as a unit crosswise of the carrier.

15. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a reciprocatable carbon-carrier, of a set or group of mounted upon the opposite side of the carhon-carrier and also projecting rearwardly and inwardly therefrom, and separately movable mounts upon which the sets or blades are fixed.

HIRAM S. LASHER.

Witnesses:

CROUCH, FRED A. GRosE. 

